The Manila Times
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Raffy Tulfo has recorded a notable rise in voter preference for the 2028 presidential elections, even overtaking Vice President Sara Duterte for the first time in a "hypothetical direct contest," according to a national survey released on Friday. The non-commissioned survey conducted by Tangere on May 8, 2026, showed Tulfo climbing to 25 percent from 20 percent in February, placing him third in a multi-candidate field. Vice President Duterte remained the frontrunner at 39 percent despite a four-point decline, while former vice president Leni Robredo held steady in second place with 27 percent. In a head-to-head matchup, however, the survey indicated Tulfo narrowly leading Duterte, 45 percent to 44 percent. The findings also pointed to distinct shifts in how voters perceived the leading contenders across leadership traits. Tulfo emerged as the top-ranked candidate in both being action-oriented and perceived as uncorruptible, reinforcing his image as a decisive and accountability-driven figure among respondents. Duterte, while maintaining a strong connection with ordinary voters and ranking first in the “one with the masses” category, was rated lowest in perceived integrity. The survey suggested this perception may be influenced by ongoing impeachment proceedings in which findings of probable cause have been reported. In terms of intellectual and academic competence, Robredo ranked first, followed by Tulfo and Duterte. Robredo also led in moral character and being God-fearing, with Duterte and Tulfo trailing behind. On nationalism, Tulfo was ranked highest, followed by Duterte and Robredo. Regionally, the survey reflected a clear geographic divide in voter preferences. Duterte continued to dominate in Visayas and Mindanao, while Robredo retained strong support in Calabarzon and the Bicol Region. Tulfo, meanwhile, maintained a leading position in Metro Manila and Central Luzon and posted notable gains in Northern Luzon, where previously undecided voters were reported to have shifted toward him. The data further suggested that Tulfo has been consolidating support from voters previously aligned with other opposition figures. In a simulated two-way race, a significant portion of respondents who had supported Sen. Risa Hontiveros and Robredo were said to have transferred their preference to Tulfo, strengthening his position in a narrowed contest scenario. Tangere President and Chief Executive Officer Martin Peñaflor said the results reflected a developing contrast in voter evaluation of leadership qualities. Peñaflor said that while Duterte maintained strength in southern regions and retained a strong populist appeal, voter emphasis on integrity and action-oriented leadership appeared to be benefiting Tulfo, particularly in urban and northern areas where scrutiny of political figures remained high due to ongoing impeachment developments. The survey was part of Tangere’s 2028 Pre-Election Presidential Preferential Survey and Trust and Satisfaction Ratings of Top Government Officials. It was conducted using a mobile-based respondent application with 1,200 participants nationwide, carrying a margin of error of plus or minus 2.77 percent at a 95 percent confidence level. Respondents were proportionally distributed across the National Capital Region, Northern Luzon, Southern Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Tangere is a market research and technology-driven polling firm and is a member of the Marketing and Opinion Research Society of the Philippines, Esomar, and the Philippine Association of National Advertisers.
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